1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to signal processing apparatuses and methods, and to command-sequence data structures. More particularly, the invention relates to a signal processing apparatus and method, and to a command-sequence data structure in which many functions can be easily implemented by the use of a single unit of hardware by switching the hardware internal structure according to a plurality of commands.
2. Description of the Related Art
As computers become faster and less expensive, various functions are implemented by software. More specifically, not only in general-purpose computers, but also in cellular telephones and other types of personal digital assistants (PDAs), audio visual machines, such as television receivers, and electrical household appliances, such as electronic rice cookers, processors, such as central processing units (CPUs) and digital signal processors (DSPs), perform various types of processing by executing software (programs).
Because of the increasing use of software for implementing functions, software becomes more complicated and large, and the load on computers (CPUs or DSPs) is accordingly increasing. Thus, a device having a novel processor for reducing the load on a computer system has been proposed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-358294.
As long as software is executed on computers, the development of complicated and large software becomes necessary, which is very time-consuming and requires much labor.
Particularly when fast processing is demanded, parallel processing using a plurality of processors, for example, is necessary. For producing software for parallel processing, an enormous number of steps must be programmed while considering the operation timings of a plurality of processors, which imposes a heavy load on software developers (engineers).
If a certain type of processing only is required, dedicated hardware for performing such processing can be developed, for example, integrated circuits (ICs) or large scale integration (LSI).
However, dedicated hardware can perform only a specific type of processing, and lacks versatility.